Chapter 2 of Vain oblations is here in full — 466 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Vain oblations is here in full — 466 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly. Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness. “I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully. I’ll be back in an hour. And do buck up.
Chapter 2 of Vain oblations is here in full — 466 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/93 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
used as intensifiers
From this reading ““I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully.”
to strive with determination
From this reading “And do buck up.”
in a helpless manner
From this reading “THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.”
powerlessness revealed by an inability to act
From this reading “Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.”
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading “Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.”
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading ““I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully.”
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading “Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.”
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading ““I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I’ll be back in an hour.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And do buck up.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
used as intensifiers
From this reading “I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I’ll be back in an hour.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I’ll be back in an hour.
to strive with determination
From this reading And do buck up.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading And do buck up.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
in a helpless manner
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
powerlessness revealed by an inability to act
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading I’ll be back in an hour.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I’ll be back in an hour.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I’ll be back in an hour.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
the force of workers available
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
above and across; more than
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading “I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully.
being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
on the contrary
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I’m sorry, Peter--really, awfully.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading And do buck up.
the words that are spoken
From this reading Then “Marty” Martin drew a few ragged words over his helplessness.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading THE MANGO-SEED The two young men looked at each other rather helplessly.
Chapter 2 of Vain oblations by Katharine Fullerton Gerould holds 466 sentences, grouped into 94 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 2 holds 466 sentences of Vain oblations, unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Vain oblations by Katharine Fullerton Gerould exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 466 sentences, grouped into 94 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 94 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Vain oblations by Katharine Fullerton Gerould on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Vain oblations section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Vain oblations to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Vain oblations, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
